News

U.S. Sen. Brian Schatz has emerged as one of the strongest voices of opposition to the unprecedented assault being waged in Washington D.C. against working people by billionaires and anti-union extremists.

The senator joined AFL-CIO members last week to offer his take on the current administration's agenda of public service cuts, mass firings and devastating budget cuts, all for the benefit of big corporations and wealthy donors.

"The question I'm getting the most is, 'Hey, what can I be doing?'" Schatz told the members gathered in HGEA's union hall. "You all remember Calvin Say, who used to say, 'Be like the bamboo — bend, but don't break.' As we think about society itself, the object of the game here is to try to survive until the midterms with the bones of society still in place."

While those in control of Washington, D.C. rode a working class wave into office, Schatz said he finds hope in shifting public sentiments. Working people are waking up and will fight back in 2026, he said.